


Reunion

by Captain_Shulk



Category: Persona 4
Genre: Fluff, Post-Canon
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-11-03
Updated: 2020-11-03
Packaged: 2021-03-08 23:41:00
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,418
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/27365179
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Captain_Shulk/pseuds/Captain_Shulk
Summary: After six months Yu's returned to Inaba, and a conversation between his friends causes Nanako to reveal information about a friend he didn't know. With this in mind, Yu decides to find her and with a bit of help from Kanji surprise her with a gift based on that information. Based on the ending of p4ga.
Relationships: Marie/Narukami Yu, Marie/Persona 4 Protagonist, Marie/Seta Souji
Kudos: 20





	Reunion

**Author's Note:**

> Okay so I've completed P4G twice now, and I've watched both the p4 animation plus rewatched p4ga a few times. Marie ended up being one of my favourite characters of the game and I enjoyed her character arc enough to make me write fanfic to get some thoughts out of my head.
> 
> This ficlet is what I have in mind for what happens after the end of p4ga, and Yu's reunion with Marie the day after he returns to Inaba and will probably be easier to understand if you have watched p4ga. And if you haven't, anime-planet.com has the 12 episodes up for viewing.
> 
> At the end of the last episode it's revealed that Yu and Marie wished for the same thing and Yu never realized it. So it gave me an idea for Yu asking Kanji for some help making a gift out of the papers that they wrote their wishes on for Marie to keep. And that was the start of how this fic came about.

_"Everyone... I'm home!"_

With that exclamation, the surprise party to celebrate Yu Narukumi's return resumed. Dojima excused himself to grab Nanako's share of the party food to eat while Yu asked his friends about when their friend Marie showed up again.

"She came back almost right after you left," Yosuke explained. "She said 'I did pretty good as a human after all.' and she didn't want us to worry about her."

"And Marie told us everything. But you had a really dramatic farewell didn't you?" Chie asked.

"Yeah. The last I saw of her Marie said she'd always be with me before she vanished."

Yu smiled, but he couldn't hide how sad he felt.

"She said it would be awkward to come back so soon and..."

"She asked us to keep it a secret from you, Narukumi-kun. We're sorry." Yukiko finished.

"It's fine. Marie's back and she looks happy. That's good enough for now."

The conversation was cut short by Dojima returning with a plate of food for his daughter.

"I hope you're hungry Nanako, I set all of your favourite pieces aside!"

"Thanks, dad! Thank you for the meal!" Nanako said as she ate her lunch. Seeing Nanako enjoying her meal helped ease Yu's mood, so he leaned back and listened to his friend's conversations. Unsurprisingly, the talk between Yosuke and Teddie was the loudest of them all.

"Why do I have to pick up the papers Yosuke?"

"You went and dug up that time capsule way too early! So it's your responsibility to clean up. It's supposed to stay buried for years, not six months."

"Fine, I'll do that once we've stopped eating."

"Go do it now Teddie. We don't want someone to walk over them and tear them in half by accident."

With a half-hearted grumble, Teddie got up and collected the papers that had gone flying.

"What a stubborn guy... Does Teddie still give you a hard time when you give him orders at work senpai?" Kanji asked.

"He's gotten better at listening to Dad and I but sometimes I have to bribe him with Topsicles to keep him in line. Sometimes, I think he would wish for a never-ending supply of them..."

Upon hearing the word wish, Nanako hastily swallowed another piece of sushi so she could tug at the sleeve on Yu's shirt to get his attention.

"What's the matter Nanako?" Yu asked kindly.

"Big Bro, I remembered that I have something I want to show you."

"Is that so? Why don't you go get it so I can have a look at it?"

"Okay!"

Nanako stood up, went to her room and returned a moment later with a piece of blue paper in her hand. She held it out to Yu, who looked at the paper slip curiously.

"Thank you. Now, what about this piece of paper is important enough to show-"

Yu's mouth dropped as he recognized the handwriting as Marie's, but it was the phrase written on the paper that surprised him the most:

_ I wish we could stay together forever. ~Marie _

"This can't be real..." Yu muttered as he let the piece of paper fall out of his hands. He stared at it so intently that his friends stopped talking to look at their friend while Nanako was worried that she might have done something wrong.

"How is this possible? Nanako, why do you have this?" He asked.

"The day Marie-chan vanished, I found that piece of paper lying on the ground. When I saw her name on it I showed it to Dad. And he said that we should keep it for her."

"Nanako... thank you very much. The day before I left Inaba, she asked what my wish was. But she never told me what she wrote..." Yu took a few shuddering breaths as a sudden heartache threatened to overwhelm him.

"Are you okay?"

"I... I'm okay. Seeing this is a bit of a shock."

"Why would Marie-chan's wish shock you Sensei?" Teddie wondered.

"Please bring me my wish paper so I can show everyone."

With that, Teddie went to collect Yu's wish paper from the time capsule and gave it to Yu. With a sad smile he placed it on the table next to Marie's wish paper. It read:

_ I wish we could stay together forever.~Narukumi Yu _

Yu's friends were amazed to see that Yu and Marie had written the same wish on their pieces of paper. This prompted a barrage of comments from his friends about how unlikely it was for two people to wish for the same thing.

"That's incredible... Are you going to show this to Marie-chan? And she confessed her love for you on live tv. Won't you have to talk to her anyway?" Chie asked.

Yu looked at the papers as he thought things over. Then he looked to face Chie and nodded slowly.

"You're right. I think I  _ need  _ to talk to her. But I want to be ready before I see her. For that, I need your help Kanji."

"What do you need Senpai?" Kanji asked.

"Is it possible to make a gift for Marie using these wish papers? And both our wishes have to be visible and easy to read. Can you do that?"

Kanji looked at the wish papers thoughtfully and after a brief silence, he gave his friend a confident grin.

"I have an idea that's perfect for these papers. Just pass by ma's shop tomorrow morning to collect it."

"Thank you, Kanji."

Yu handed the wish papers to Kanji who delicately tucked them into one of his pockets for safekeeping. Then the celebration continued late into the evening until Yu's friends reluctantly decided to go home. As Kanji left the Dojima residence, he boasted that Yu should look forward to seeing his completed idea.

After a deep sleep, Yu woke up the next morning feeling refreshed. But he was nervous from the thought of seeing Marie again. He had breakfast and prepared to go out for the day but before he could leave Dojima motioned for him to sit down at the kitchen table again. Yu felt he had a good idea what his uncle was about to say.

"I know you're about to see someone important to you so I won't keep you long. I don't know what you intend to do today, but here's some advice: Whatever you do say to her, make sure that you're speaking from the heart. Relationships are complicated even when things are going smoothly. There will be bad days with the good, and the challenge is to keep a willingness to work things out and to understand your partner's feelings when times get tough or if you're angry because of an argument. That said, if you choose to enter a relationship with her I'm sure it will be the start of a wonderful journey for you both. Just remember to invite her over again so we can get to know her as well as you do. Maybe I'll have a cup waiting so she can write her name on the bottom when you do."

The stern but encouraging words brought a smile to Yu's face, and he felt a bit calmer about his plans for the day.

"Thank you, Uncle. I think she'd like the idea of becoming a part of the family. I'll see you both when I get back."

"Good luck big bro!" Nanako said happily. With a wave, Yu departed and once the door was shut Dojima let out a wistful sigh. "If your mother was here to see you taking your first steps into becoming an adult, I know she would be proud of you."

Yu's walk through the shopping district was a peaceful one. Everywhere he looked, he saw more signs that the shopping district had changed while he was gone. He felt glad to see that business was improving. Once he arrived at Tasumi Textiles he knocked on the door and Kanji was quick to greet him.

"Morning, Senpai!" Kanji said in greeting. "I finished your request just after breakfast. It didn't take long to craft, but I'm still proud of my work." Kanji handed the gift over to Yu, who inspected the gift from both sides before he gave Kanji his approval.

"Kanji this is perfect. Thank you for putting this together so quickly."

"This was nothing..." Kanji said, who looked both embarrassed and pleased by Yu's compliment. "But I'm glad ya like it! Good luck talking to Marie today, I'm cheering for ya!"

With that farewell, Yu walked back down the shopping district and waited for a bus to take him to the hill overlooking the town. He hadn't contacted Marie but felt that she'd know he would be there. Marie told him that she would always be near him, and he trusted her to keep her word. Boarding the bus reminded him of the first time he took her out of the Velvet Room. The instant he sat down, he closed his eyes and remembered how Marie told him that he didn't have to force himself to take her outside. Between old memories resurfacing and thinking about what to say to Marie, he felt the nervousness in his stomach resurface and grow stronger as he got closer to his destination.

After a short ride, Yu got off the bus and walked towards the top of the hill. As he got closer, he saw that Marie was indeed waiting for him. Instead of her old shirt, arm length gloves and thigh-high socks, Marie now wore a black blazer over a white shirt alongside a short business skirt and tights. And she sported a stylish pair of glasses instead of the big blue hat she used to wear which made him wonder if the glasses Teddie had crafted for his friends had influenced her choice.

But he was surprised to see that she didn't look happy to see him.

"...You're late. I expected you to arrive an hour ago." Marie said with a sharp glare that made Yu's jaw drop and feet freeze. But before he could speak, her shoulders started to shake with amusement and a fond smile quickly replaced her frown.

"I'm kidding. Yu, Welcome home. I never forgot about you."

Yu's legs felt like they'd turned to stone and he had to force his feet to move. But once he did, he closed the distance between them in an instant before he drew her into a fierce embrace. When Yu finally spoke, his voice was heavy with emotion.

"Marie... I can't believe that you're back. When I saw you disappear, I accepted that you'd stay in that other world to protect us all. It made losing you easier to bear. But seeing you, holding you again makes me remember how much it hurt to say goodbye. I can't tell if this is another dream and I'm scared if I let go of you, I'll wake up and discover this entire morning wasn't real."

Yu was surprised to notice tears starting to form on his eyes, so he wiped them away while he stubbornly held onto Marie. 

"I'm so sorry, Yu. I had to become one with the old Izanami. We both know that it was the right thing to do." Marie whispered as she wrapped her arms around Yu. "But this isn't a dream. I chose to return because I had to let you know I was okay."

Yu silently nodded and enjoyed the warmth of their hug a little longer before he reluctantly let her go. As they took in the view from the hilltop, a familiar yet comfortable silence grew between them as they took in each other's presence. To Yu, it felt like a sign that things were going in the right direction. But he was curious about Marie's situation so he decided to break the silence.

"Marie, what's it like being a goddess?"

"Ehh? You're curious about that?"

"I am."

Marie looked at Yu briefly and shrugged.

"When I became one with Izanami I regained senses that I had forgotten I could use. I didn't realize how much I had lost until I remembered how to use those forgotten senses, and then my world expanded in ways I didn't realize was possible. When I'm in the other world, I can sense the collective mood of everyone in this town and change the weather of this town several days ahead of time. But here I can peer into people's hearts and memories by focusing my mind on them. That's something I did by accident to the old Izanami before she revealed herself to you. Plus I can still do... this."

Marie stretched one arm towards Yu and with a mischievous smile, she snapped her fingers. The next moment Yu felt a gust of wind gently ruffle his hair and he couldn't help but laugh happily.

"That's amazing. Have you wanted to pull a joke using that power?"

Marie smiled at his joke, but that didn't last long as her face settled into determined lines.

"There have been times I wanted to prank people, but using my powers that way feels wrong. When we became one, I saw everything that made Izanami believe humans wanted a world shrouded in a fog of lies... But she could never understand how wrong she was because of what she lost when we separated. Now we've become one again I won't make the mistakes she did."

"I think I understand." 

"When I give one of my weather reports, I use my powers to help make everyone's day a little brighter. I won't interfere with people's choices, it's up to each person to decide how they use that gift. Yet no one realizes what I'm doing. When people look at me on tv, all they see a weather reporter who's very good at predicting the weather."

"Kanji and Naoto told me that everyone feels energized after they hear your weather reports. Now I know why," Yu commented. 

"Hehe. I was a pretty good human, and I'll do a great job protecting everyone as Izanami-no-Mikoto."

"Yes, you will. I know you'll do a great job. But that isn't why I came here today. I have a gift for you."

"A gift? May I see it?"

Marie watched Yu pull a small item out of his bag and give it to her. With a quick look Marie saw the piece of paper she wrote her wish on had been laminated and turned into a bookmark with black and red ribbons on one end. She was so surprised by Yu's choice of gift that her face quickly went red and her shoulders shook with embarrassment. Yu looked at her, worried that he might have had made a mistake.

"Marie?"

"Grrr... I told you so many times not to look at my things, but even when I'm gone you won't stop peeking! You stupidintrusivejerk why don't you just- OH."

Marie took in a deep breath and forced herself to calm down.

"I'm sorry. Ever since you left, I've worked hard to overcome that habit. I thought I had made good progress while you've been gone. But the thought of you looking at my writing embarrasses me so easily that I feel frustrated..."

"Sorry, Marie. I didn't mean to upset you with this gift," Yu said calmly. "But please turn it over."

So Marie flipped the bookmark, and her eyes went wide as she saw Yu's wish paper on the other side. Her embarrassment was quickly forgotten as she trailed a finger along Yu's writing and she gave him a heartfelt smile as she understood the significance of his gift.

"So you figured out that we had the same wish in mind when we wrote on our papers."

"Yeah. Nanako found the paper you left behind and showed it to my uncle who told her to keep it. Yesterday she showed it to me after Yosuke said something that made her remember it." Yu explained. "Once I saw your wish, I understood why you told the old Izanami that my wish wasn't mine alone and it would make us all one. I asked Kanji to create a gift out of our wish papers and that's what he created. I want you to keep it, as a symbol of the genuine bond we have and a reminder that we wished for the same thing."

"Yu, thank you so much. This gift is wonderful. I'll treasure it as much as I treasure my memories with you. And please thank Kanji for me."

"I'll let him know you approve of it."

Yu was relieved to see Marie's eyes shine with joy as she looked at the gift from every angle. While she looked at it, Yu thought about how to talk to her about her TV confession. He knew he was the bravest person out of his group of friends, but the thought of talking to Marie about love left him uncertain of what to say. However, a sudden question from Marie cut his thoughts off.

"...is there something important you want to tell me?"

"There is. How did you know, are you reading my heart?" Yu joked.

"Of course not," Marie replied with a giggle. "I wouldn't do that to you. But I  _ know  _ you're hesitating, just like you did after Adachi almost shot you."

Yu sighed and pushed some of his nervousness aside.

"You're right. I am nervous. I saw your weather report and your personal message. I want to talk to you about it, but I don't know where to begin."

"Take your time, Yu. Figure it out like you solved the murder case last year." 

With that encouragement, Yu closed his eyes and thought back to the times that Marie had left him.

He remembered the night he woke up in tears after Marie said goodbye in his dreams despite forgetting who she was. His wrist shivered with a wave of forgotten anger as he thought about the moment he realized Marie had left without telling him and the way he told her 'don't ever go away again' after he had saved her floated to the top of his mind. Last of all his stomach tightened in pain as he remembered how he felt knowing Marie would never be the same after becoming one with Izanami. As Yu thought about those times, he realized there was one thing that connected those memories once he saw that thread he was finally able to admit what he felt deep down.

"...I wished to stay together with everyone, but I wanted to continue being with you most of all. I hated the thought of never seeing you again and when Izanami said that I would be the one to end your existence I couldn't accept it. That's why I rejected the truth until you came to help me. But you're back in this world. My wish now is for us to be together for as long as we can."

"Yu, I'd like that a lot. But are you sure about this, being with me? I'm not human anymore. Even though I can exist in this world, I'll keep on living long after you and your friends have become dust in the wind..."

"I don't give a damn about that. Human or not, you're still my precious friend. And the one I want to be with. So Marie, will you please be my girlfriend?"

Yu offered a hand to Marie, who smiled as she recognized the gesture was the same as when he saved her in the Hollow Forest.

"...Yes. I'd love to be your girlfriend. Please take good care of me."

"I'll do my best to make you happy, Marie."

"I know you will." Marie said bashfully. "Now you've told me how you feel, do you want to spend the day together?"

"That sounds great. And tomorrow I want to organize a day for all of our friends to hang out together, if you're free."

"I'll make a phone call to clear things with the tv station. Alright then! Let me show you around. I've learned so much about Inaba while you were away and I want to tell you everything I've done."

Marie took Yu's hand into her own, and she began to tell her boyfriend about what she had been doing in the past six months as they walked into town.

And in his heart, Yu felt that everything was finally right with Inaba.


End file.
